Prediction and Measurement of Corrosion Rates of Stainless Steel in Concentrated Sulfuric Acid

When exposed to concentrated sulfuric acid, stainless steel exhibits unique electrochemical behavior. This behavior can be observed as an oscillation in open-circuit potential between the active and passive states. The transient nature of the corrosion behavior under these conditions results in a distinct challenge for measuring and predicting corrosion rates. Using a series of commercial alloys with various nickel contents, this paper outlines the utilization of electrochemical experimentation to refine the prediction of corrosion rates. The paper also discusses some of the difficulties associated with many traditional electrochemical techniques such as potentiodynamic scans when used for characterizing systems that undergo oscillations in open-circuit potential.